1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for remote reading of utility meters. More particularly, it relates to an automatic electronic system for remote reading of water utility meters in a multi-unit facility employing RF signals to transmit the data read to a central location.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of RF signals to transmit data from a remote to a central location is well known in the prior art. Further, the use of RF signals to transmit utility meter data (i.e., electricity, gas and water meters) is also well known. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,271 to Rouse discloses a method and apparatus for transmitting utility meter data from a single consumer meter to a mobile command unit utilizing RF signals. The Rouse system includes the mobile command unit which must initiate the consumer meter through the transmission of a unique I.D.xe2x80x94a so called xe2x80x9cwake-upxe2x80x9d procedure. Although the Rouse system was an improvement over the existing prior art in that a utility company employee is not required to personally inspect each consumer meter and to physically note the meter readings, the invention lacks automatic reading features and is not considered a xe2x80x9cpurexe2x80x9d remote reading system.
Improvement in the art can been seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,976 to Gastouniotis et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,230 to Schanker et al. Each system attempts to provide an enhanced automatic system for reading data from utility meters and sending it to a central location. But, neither these references nor any other references in the prior art disclose or teach the novel aspects of the present invention. In particular, nothing in the prior art alone or in combination teaches or discloses a fully automatic remote utility meter data reading system of a fixed network capable of reading a plurality of meters automatically and transmitting that data to single collector unit by means of a single RF carrier.
In multi-unit residential facilities, such as apartment buildings, there is a need for individual unit metering of the utilities provided to the apartment dwellings. This permits the management or owner of the multi-unit complex to charge each individual apartment dweller the exact amount for their consumption of the respective utility. Without such capability, the management or owner must estimate the utility usage for the entire apartment complex for a whole year and attempt to spread the estimated cost among all the apartment dwellers by charging a percentage per month in the rent cost upon signing the lease with the apartment dweller. More particularly, due to the increasing costs and shortages of water throughout the country and the world, a system for permitting exact allocation of water usage is greatly needed.
The present invention addresses and solves the problems seen in multi-unit facility utility consumption by providing a fully automatic remote meter data reading system capable of reading individual meters of each unit and transmitting the read data to a single collection device by means of a single RF carrier.
The present invention contains a plurality of transmitters having microprocessor controlled circuits. The number of transmitters is directly proportional to the number of utility meters which is in turn directly proportional to the number of apartments within the multi-unit facility. The transmitter is capable of entering a low power consumption mode when not reading the meter. Upon powering up, the transmitter reads the meter and transmits its read via a single RF carrier. A single microprocessor controlled repeater, mounted within the apartment complex, receives the multiple transmitter send a single or plurality of transceivers coupled thereto. The repeater holds the data for a short time period and then re-transmits, or repeats, the data through one of the coupled transceivers to a microprocessor controlled collector device. The collector device also has a single transceiver coupled thereto for receiving data along the RF carrier signal. Various interfaces in the collector allow it to receive data or instructions from the transceiver, a remote computer via a modem, or a direct link to a local PC.